- Protests against Elon Musk and the Trump administration are occurring at Tesla dealerships nationwide.
- Protestors in Tallahassee, Florida, voiced concerns about democracy and Musk's influence.
- A Tesla owner offered pizza to protestors and employees, promoting peaceful dialogue.
Activists in the capital city joined the nationwide protest movement against Elon Musk and the Trump Administration by descending on a local Tesla dealership.
Claudia Sperber, president of the the Leon DemocraticEnvironmental Caucus that hosted the "Tesla Takedown" protest, yelled into a megaphone, "No kings. No crowns. We the people won't back down."
"Our democracy is in trouble. We need to stand up now," she said, in an interview with the Tallahassee Democrat. "We need to stand up to Trump. We also need to stand up to Musk. Musk is wrecking havoc on our country."
Similar peaceful protests have taken places in California, New York, Texas, Washington D.C. and other states, along with international protests in the U.K. and Canada.
Critical of Musk and his role with the Trump-approved Department of Government Efficiency, some have targeted Tesla vehicles and dealerships with vandalism and arson, including five Tesla vehicles damaged at a dealership in Las Vegas.
In Tallahassee, it was only signs and shouts. Two protestors hauled a giant 15-foot banner on wooden rods that read "No kings" just outside the Tesla dealership on West Tennessee Street. Others held hand-made "Save Social Security" and "Lady Liberty vs Misogyny" signs.
Tesla Cybertruck owner Carl Fuqua, owner of Fuqua Insurance Agency, arrived with his own peace offering by providing a giant cheese pizza pie from Momo's Pizza (A local restaurant known for its large portions).
He did so because "pizza is the language of love," he told the Democrat. Fuqua brought pizza to the Tesla dealership employees and soon emerged from the glass doors to the sidewalk to offer protestors a slice."
"This country was built on free speech, and there's nothing wrong with free speech, right?," Fuqua said. "I'm just here to be more of a pacifist in the sense of I think we're more alike than we are different. We can get past that. I know there's strong feelings, but there's nothing wrong with showing some kindness people."
Employees at the Tesla dealership declined to offer a comment about the protest. Two Tallahassee police officers arrived on scene and remained watchful from a distance while protestors lined the grassy right-of-way area in front of the dealership.
Ion Sancho II, whose namesake father was the longtime Leon County Supervisor of Elections for 28 years before retiring in 2017, said he joined the Tesla Takedown protest because, "We cannot support authoritarianism."
"Just because we live in a capitalistic society does not mean that we can compete in any form or manner in a system that oppresses us," Sancho said. "
He said it was vital to host the protest in Tallahassee, adding the group was trying to make local voices heard on concerns reverberating throughout the country.
"Government, politics, it starts in the homes," Sancho said. "It branches out to the communities. And that's what we're trying to do here. We're trying to tie a national movement here in Tallahassee and put our own spin on it."
For one hour, a steady stream of honks from passersby joined the chorus of chants. Many were seen pumping their fists in agreement, throwing a thumbs up from their passenger windows or applauding as they whizzed by.
"I never voted for Musk, and I don't know what the hell he's doing up there," said Robert Conroy, a protestor holding up a sign. "At the federal level, my biggest concern is we're turning into a fascist country, and my second biggest concern is I don't think most people realize that. And that's scares the hell out of me."
Contact Economic Development Reporter TaMaryn Waters at tlwaters@tallahassee.com and follow @TaMarynWaters on X.
